JOHN NESTOR/Register Citizen Correspondent
Torrington Titans pitcher Derek Richards (35) celebrates his no-hitter with his teammates on Monday at Fuessenich Park. Richards struck out five and walked four in a 4-0 win over the Martha's Vineyard Sharks in the first game of an FCBL doubleheader.

JOHN NESTOR/Register Citizen Correspondent
Derek Richards delivers a pitch during his no-hitter.

TORRINGTON -- Derek Richards gave up no hits and the Torrington Titans had one big inning to pick up a huge victory over the Martha's Vineyard Sharks on Monday.

Richards threw a no hitter and Conor Bierfeldt and Kevin Lum each hit home runs to lead the Titans to a 4-0 victory in game one of a doubleheader between a pair of Futures Collegiate Baseball League playoff contenders.

Richards had lost twice to Martha's Vineyard this season and the Titans as a team were 0-4 against the Sharks entering Monday but the slumps were ended in a big way. Richards walked four and struck out five.

"I felt good, I had good stuff and it's great to throw a no-hitter in a big game," Richards said. "I had thrown one back in high school but getting one tonight is great."

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With Richards keeping the Sharks bats under wraps, the Titans just needed to find a way to push a few runs across, which has been a problem of late. Torrington entered the day having lost three of its last four games and had scored just one run in each of those losses.

This time they gave Richards all the runs he would need in one big inning.

After leaving runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings, the Titans stuck for four runs in the third. Ryan Zielinski started the inning with a fly ball to left that Sharks left fielder Jack Colton lost in the sun. Zielinski ended up at second and came around to score two batters later when Bierfeldt launched his ninth home run of the season to right center to give the Titans a 2-0 lead.

Torrington was not done as Ryan Plourde followed with a double to left, bringing Lum to the plate and he responded with a two-run shot to left field for his first home run of the season.

Staked to a 4-0 lead, Richards focused on keeping the Sharks off the scoreboard and everything else just took care of itself.

"It crossed my mind," Richards said when asked if he thought about the no-no as the game went on. "After we got the lead I just wanted to go out and keep the zero up there in the runs column. I figured a hit would come, but I just wanted to keep that zero up there."

He did keep the zero up there, two of them to be exact. Richards retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth and then got a double-play to erase a baserunner in the sixth. In the seventh he walked the leadoff batter but got a strikeout, fly out and fielder's choice to end the no hitter.

Richards has now won four of his last five decisions and is pitching well when the Titans need it the most.

"I could tell from warming up in the bullpen he had good stuff," Titans catcher Zach Siegel said. "He had good command and his breaking pitches were better than they have been all season. He had great stuff and it showed."